Farewell Keetha

Miss Keetha liked by all, and those around her really made their effort to speak English to her, although she herself could speak fragmented Bahasa Melayu, oops, Bhs Malaysia. Before coming here she has been very busy in Brunei for a couple of years, and that's where she learns Malay.

Farewell Speech by District Education Officer

Keetha's turn to speak
Something to remember - we put it in writing

Where's the MC ?

here?

A group photograph - specially arrange so that everybody put on the Baju Melayu.
Makan time, as usual, no farewell party is complete without a makan.

At last, its time to say farewell to Miss Keetha, a DELC officer seconded by the Education Ministry to perform her responsibility in the remotest district in Penang. She's been here in Jawi for one and a half years, standing in for Miss Dot Mckenzie, who decided to leave her job and take a more interesting offer in the Middle East, February last year.

Since then we came to know Keetha and day by day the experience which this lady brings along with her has given us a very useful insight of what ELT is really all about. The teachers in the district are more relaxe with her, and she made herself useful to them by visiting the schools and helping teachers whenever the need arises. Workshops are conducted more often. Teaching clinics are prompted and the teachers here find that these are more interesting than the usual teaching courses that they have attended.

Keetha has also shown us that our syllabus is too heavy for the mid-ability pupils to follow. Hence, she made the teachers understand that few is not too little, and many does mean you cannot handle it, and nor does your pupils.

I remember vividly how she gasp when she learned the number of new words that a child in year three learns in a week. "No,no,no too many..... , it's too much. They cannot... they just can't.... ." She has said these and I believed, yes they are too many, but we cannot stop here and bring down the the level because we are way out there in front competing with the little singaporean that has gone too far ahead of us.

So to Keetha, thanks for the contribution, sharing of ideas, experience and most of all the warmth that you so willingly spend and shared with us through these one and a half years. We cherished the fond thoughts and hope you never forget us wherever you are. And at the same time we wish you all the best in whatever and wherever you may be.

NUTP dakwa kenyataan Hon ‘membuta tuli’

Kesatuan Perkhidmatan Perguruan Kebangsaan (NUTP) semalam membidas Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Hon Choon Kim yang didakwa mengeluarkan cadangan ‘membuta tuli’ membabitkan guru seolah-olah tidak menghormati sumbangan guru selama ini.

Presiden NUTP, Anuar Ibrahim, berkata kenyataan Hon yang mahu tempat makan guru tidak diasingkan dengan murid bagi membolehkan tiada perbezaan kualiti makanan disediakan pengusaha kantin, memperlihatkan beliau gagal melihat sumbangan dan pengorbanan guru kepada murid selama ini.“Kami rayu janganlah mana-mana timbalan menteri melontarkan cadangan yang kadang-kadang tidak menghormati maruah guru seperti dikeluarkan timbalan menteri berhubung soal mengatasi kes keracunan makanan di sekolah,” katanya ketika dihubungi semalam.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas cadangan Hon kelmarin yang menyebut adalah tidak praktikal sekiranya ruang makan pelajar diasingkan daripada guru kerana ia boleh menyebabkan penyediaan dua kualiti makanan berbeza mengikut kuasa beli.

“Saya tidak nampak rasional mengasingkan tempat makan di kantin, termasuk menyediakan bilik khas untuk guru. Bagi saya ia tidak praktikal kerana akan menyebabkan pengusaha kantin memberi khidmat dan kualiti makanan berbeza yang mengutamakan guru,” kata Hon.

Beliau berkata, cadang Hon itu boleh dilaksanakan jika menteri atau timbalan menteri sanggup tidak diasingkan ketika menikmati makanan dalam majlis atau keraian yang dianjurkan kerajaan mahu pun pihak lain.

“NUTP cadangkan supaya semua menteri dan timbalan menteri tidak lagi disediakan meja atau bilik khas untuk semua jamuan yang dianjurkan dan perlu beratur untuk mengambil makanan sendiri. Adakah Hon sanggup?“Kami tidak mengharapkan yang bukan-bukan, tetapi hormatilah sedikit maruah kami dengan tidak mencadangkan sesuatu secara membuta-tuli tanpa menghiraukan perasaan semua guru. Perkara ini mungkin kecil bagi sesetengah pihak, tetapi lama kelamaan jika dibiarkan ia mampu melunturkan semangat guru,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, cadangan sebegitu tidak akan timbul sama sekali jika Hon memahami konsep yang diterapkan kepada lebih 10,000 kantin sekolah di seluruh negara.

“Adalah tidak adil meletakkan tanggungjawab semua perkara kepada guru apabila terjadi sesuatu perkara seperti keracunan makanan. Takkan semua guru nak jadi ‘food tester’ kantin sekolah dan kalau tak mati baru nak umumkan makanan selamat dan suruh murid makan?

“Orang yang mencadangkan perkara sedemikian sebenarnya tidak faham apa yang berlaku di semua kantin sekolah seluruh negara. Kebanyakan guru makan apa yang dimakan murid kerana pihak kantin menyediakan makanan sama tetapi mungkin ada tambahan lauk sedikit.

“Guru juga berhak mendapat ruang makan berasingan untuk menjarakkan sedikit hubungan antara guru dan pelajar bagi mewujudkan perasaan hormat. Apa lagi memang ada guru yang gemar makan bersama murid mereka dan kebanyakan sekolah luar bandar juga tidak mempunyai ruang makan berasingan,” katanya.

Anuar berkata, Hon sebenarnya tidak menyedari kewujudan Jawatankuasa Kantin di semua sekolah seluruh negara yang dianggotai semua guru yang memantau penyediaan makanan kepada murid setiap hari.“Guru akan makan makanan yang disediakan setiap hari dan ia dicatat dalam laporan khusus, jadi tidak logik jika mengatakan makanan guru dan pelajar mereka berbeza,” katanya.

Teachers' Day in SPS

Gambaran Sambutan Hari Guru Daerah 2007

Interesting day, with lots of happening.....

Memories? Yeap of yesteryears......

and another one that I cannot reply maaa ..

The second picture above is Hj Darulzaman ex lecturer at MTC

Tasek sudah tidak menjadi tasek

This undated combo image released by CONAF, Chile's National Forest Service, shows a 2-hectare lake at the Huemules National Park that mysteriously disappeared in the southernmost region of Magallanes, Chile. Park rangers on a routine monthly patrol discovered in late May, 2007, that the lake had dried up. A group of geologists is being sent to the area in the next few days to try to determine what happened to the lake . (AP Photo/CONAF)

Satu lagi gambaran kekuasaan Ilahi, tasek yang seingat manusia sentiasa wujud, tiba-tiba semua airnya sudah meresap ke tempat lain. Ke mana ya?

Storm in Penang

The wind was quite strong the whole day last Wednesday.

But on the shoreline, things are much worst.

FATHERS DAY

Hari ini mula pasang kaunter pada blog ini, saja nak test sebulan berapa hits yang ada di laman ini. Mana tahu ada peminat ke yang terlawat ke sini.

Anyway, it was fathers' day yesterday. Two of my good old friends send wishes to me. I don't know whether i've been a good one or not. I tried. Really I do. I pray to Allah that all my deeds were been blessed each passing minute of the day.

At the same time remembering my own dad, he seems so nice. Maybe because I was a good boy then. I learnt a lot from the beatings that my brothers got from him. Maybe that's why I didn't get the cane....... But all that doesn't matter when you really think of the wonderful days and nights that you are fond of remembering. The firm hold of the gentle hands that helps you cross the road, carry you around and not forgetting the kiss of a father, or when he ruffles your hair, just to tease you, or to tell you that he likes you ....

Oh God, you know better the feelings i had now... please Allah pardon him for whatever mistakes he has ever made, to anybody, or anyone, or anything, and most of all blessed him with the love that he has loved us, and give him the easy path to heaven.... Amien

Rusty 1957 Plymouth Unearthed in Okla.

Cerita ini sepatutnya lebih menarik sekiranya air tidak masuk ke dalam bilik kebal yang dibina 50 thn dahulu. Jika perkara ini berlaku kemungkinan kereta itu boleh dihidupkan enjinnya dan mungkin dapat bergerak sebagaimana kenderaaan lain.

Tapi takdir menentukan bahawa segala yang bersifat baharu pasti kembali ke asalnya........

Baca berita yang menarik ini ....

Thousands Watch the Unearthing of a Rusty 1957 Plymouth Belvedere in Tulsa, Okla.
Covered with dirt and rust, a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere buried under the city's courthouse lawn fifty years ago, sits on the stage after it was unveiled in Tulsa, Okla., Friday, June 15, 2007. (AP Photo)

A concrete vault encasing a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere buried a half-century ago may have been built to withstand a nuclear attack but it couldn't beat back the natural onslaught of moisture.
At a Friday ceremony complete with a couple of drum rolls, crews removed a multilayered protective wrapping caked with red mud, revealing a vintage vehicle that was covered in rust and wouldn't crank.
Top US stories

There were a few bright spots, literally: shiny chrome was still visible around the doors and front fender, and workers were able to put air in the tires.
But the unveiling in front of thousands of people at the Tulsa Convention Center confirmed fears that the past 50 years had not been the kindest to Miss Belvedere.
"I'll tell you what, she's a mess. Look at her," said legendary hot rod builder Boyd Coddington, who was unable to start the thing up as planned.
Event organizer Sharon King Davis, a fourth generation Tulsan whose grandfather helped bury the Plymouth, joked that the car needed a little Oil of Olay to help it out.
In the trunk, workers meticulously pulled out some of the objects buried with the two-door hardtop to celebrate Oklahoma's 50 years of statehood a 5-gallon can of leaded gasoline, which went for 24 cents a gallon in those days, and rusted cans of Schlitz beer.
The contents of a "typical" woman's handbag, including 14 bobby pins, lipstick and a bottle of tranquilizers, were supposed to be in the glove box, but all that was found looked like a lump of rotted leather.
Workers also searched for a spool of microfilm that recorded the entries of a contest to determine who would win the car: the person who guessed the closest of what Tulsa's population would be in 2007 382,457 would win.
That person, or his or her heirs, will get the car within a week, along with a $100 savings account, worth about $1,200 today with interest.
The elements could not penetrate a time capsule buried with the car. Its top was sawed off and organizers unfolded an American flag still bright red, white and blue sending a rousing cheer through the crowd.

Rajini fans show who’s boss

Hai menariknya cerita ini,

Dahsyat juga bila difikir2kan. Tapi yang menarik tentang kisah ini adalah kehampir samaan nama ..... ha ha ha ha ha






By M. SIVANANTHA SHARMA
BUTTERWORTH: About 300 fans of Tamil movie star Rajinikanth turned unruly when told that the screening of the much-awaited movie Sivaji The Boss starring their idol, at the Cathay Cineplex here was cancelled due to a “technical hitch.”
The fans, some of whom came as early as 10am yesterday to buy tickets for the 9pm and midnight shows, started shouting and banging the ticket counters when informed just before 9pm that the screening was off and refunds would be given out.
Many of the fans demanded that they still wanted to watch the movie following which the cineplex management decided to screen the show but after a three hour delay.
Cineplex manager S. Kuppusamy said the 9pm screening was delayed to midnight while the midnight show was delayed to 3am today. While some 70 fans took the refunds, the others stayed back to watch the shows. Police were called in to control the crowd when the fans turned unruly.

Upset: At Butterworth a section of the Tamil movie fans seeking explanation from a cineplex worker last night.



Keeping watch: A policeman observing the crowd of disappointed movie fans at the State Cinema in Petaling Jaya on Thursday night

satu lagi cerita yang sama

Pandemonium reigned at more than 10 theatres on Thursday night when the premiere of the much-anticipated Tamil movie Sivaji – The Boss was either delayed or cancelled.
The movie, starring South Indian superstar Rajinikanth and released simultaneously in India and Malaysia on Thursday, was supposed to start at 9pm but was delayed at some cinemas by about six hours and cancelled at others.

Disappointed fans turned violent, causing damage at a number of cinemas. Police had to be called in at various venues to stop the outbreak of violence.
In Penang, fans turned unruly at the delay and banged on ticket counters, some demanding a refund and others insisting that the movie be screened. Police were called in to control the situation and the movie was screened after a three-hour delay.
In Klang's Sri Intan theatre, fans who had waited more than five hours for the movie to start, wrecked the cinema lobby, breaking ticket counters and set fire to part of the theatre. The fire was immediately put out by workers.
In Rawang, fistfights broke out, and people threw bottles, breaking glass showcases, while in Ipoh, a cinema manager was beaten up by irate fans. He suffered head injuries which required stitches.
Police arrested several people but released them later.
Cinemagoer D. Karthik, who had bought five tickets (Oi, beli satu pun tengok gambaq sama jugalah), said he could not see the movie because it was delayed by five hours at the State Cinema in Petaling Jaya.
“I had already waited in line for five hours two days ago to get the tickets and I did not want to wait more than three hours to see the movie. I don't understand why they advertised opening times for the movie if they cannot start on time,” he said.
Moviegoers demanded refunds or compensation of about RM200 for each ticket they had bought at RM12.
At the Coliseum Cinema here, manager Sofie Baba said tickets counters were opened after 4pm, although people had started queuing from as early as noon. Those waiting turned violent when tickets to the 800-seat theatre were sold out within an hour.
When asked about allegations that the majority of the tickets had been sold to scalpers, he said an individual could buy a maximum of six tickets only, and that the management was not aware of any such activity.
S. Vel Paari, CEO of the movie's distributor Pyramid Saimira Theatre Chain, apologised for the delay and cancellation of the movie in some theatres.
“Rain and delay in getting the digital password from India for security reasons to beat piracy were the primary reasons for the delay and cancellations. Because of the rain, our delivery was affected and as a result, there was a delay in the screening of the movie,” he said.
He added that the Chennai-based movie producer, AVM, had supplied only 42 prints instead of the scheduled 53.
“The remaining 11 prints of the movie had to be downloaded through the Internet,” he said.

Hanira now in Bukit Aman

Selepas lebih dari 3 tahun bersama dengan PPDS akhirnya wanita ini mendapat pekerjaan tetap di Bukit Aman. Satu majlis ringkas meraikan Hanira diadakah last Friday, just before Friday prayers. So berangkatlah beliau untuk bersama dengan husband yang kini kembali bertugas di Sg Buloh.
Kita doakan kesejahteraan beliau dan berharap tempat lama bertugas menjadi kenangan indah dalam hidupnya.

Fire in Tanjong Tokong

Brunei Pics

Sendirian ku bersama bayangan yang sukar hendak digambarkan

Anyway my trip to Labuan paid off. Although gambar di Labuan tidak ditunjukkan namun kenangannya lebih banyak dari kenangan dalam gambar ini. Apapun hepi pergi dan hepi balik. Berbaloi bersama rakan-rakan menghabis sehari suntuk di Bandar Seri Begawan. Memang cantik, dan teratur bandaraya ini serta mempunyai keistimewaan tersendiri, but everything you paid double because of its ringgit exchange. The boating trip was also memorable because most of us slept thruough its journey to a certain port, nama pun dan lupa.

nak tengok gambar ya..........

hmmmmm.............

bukti...... kan?

Woman unconscious after being hit by durian

Cerita macam ini pun ada lo.........

A 36-YEAR-OLD woman fell unconscious when a durian which fell on her blind husband bounced off his head and hit her in the head too, reported Sin Chew Daily.
Cheah Ah Khoon, 54, said he asked his wife Mubawali to lead him to the orchard in Bukit Mertajam, some 2km from their house, after durians were repeatedly stolen.
They were hiding behind some bushes to spy on thieves at 10pm on Friday when they heard the sound of rustling leaves from above.
“We realised too late that it was a durian crashing down,” Cheah told the daily.
He had small holes in his scalp caused by the durian spikes but Mubawali had to be warded at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital.
He managed to carry his wife on his back home before sending her to the hospital.
The daily checked with the hospital and learnt that she did not suffer any severe injury.

Crackdown on Xenon headlights

So at last there's something positive from JPJ concerning this problem. Problem of people who thinks they can do anything with their money.

Read this:

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will act against vehicle owners who modify their headlamps with bright Xenon lights that are blinding to other motorists at night.
JPJ Director of Enforcement Salim Parlan said the Xenon lights could blind drivers of vehicles coming from the opposite direction or in front of them.
He said the JPJ had received several complaints from the public on these modified headlamps and would take immediate action against modification beyond the set standard under the Road Transport Act 1987.
“These Xenon lights are too bright and can obstruct the visibility of other road users at night.
“This poses a danger to the other road users,” he said during an integrated traffic operation here yesterday.
The Road Transport Act provides for a RM200 fine for modification to a vehicle without the approval of JPJ's technical authorities.
Salim said the JPJ was considering regulations to prohibit the use of Xenon lights on vehicles altogether.

CCTV PUNYA CERITA

oroYesterday ada satu article dalam TheStar yang mempamerkan di muka depan tentang kerajaan negeri Trengganu memasang kamera litar untuk memantau pergerakan kakitangannya di Bangunan Persekutuan.

Agak sceptical juga bila terbaca benda yang macam ini. Kita baru saja dimotivate oleh PakLah dengan kenaikan gaji yang lumayan bertujuan meningkatkan kadar productivity negara. Sektor awam akan dijadikan satu sektor yang bertaraf tinggi dan seperti yang dilaung-laungkan bertaraf dunia. Kerajaan mahu agar sektor awam Malaysia mampu menjadi sektor awam yang terbilang di dunia. Selain daripada menyediakan sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan yang terbaik, kerajaan amat berharap anggota sektor awam akan lebih menekankan aspek perkhidmatan yang mempunyai nilai tambah kepada perkhidmatan termasuk mengurangkan karenah birokrasi, sentiasa mesra, telus, responsif, kreatif dan sentiasa mementingkan pelanggan - itu harapan PM

Jika perkara sebegini berlaku adalah ditakuti kakitangan awam akan merasa tertekan dan tekanan yang tidak diundang ini akan terkena kepada semua peringkat perkhidmatan, sama ada sokongan atau profesional. Asalnya pemasangan cctv ini adalah untuk memantau keselamatan harta benda kerajaan, tapi jika niatnya berubah, maka kesan kepada tingkahlaku dan peradaban kakitangan ini mungkin begitu negative dan membawa implikasi yang tidak diingini.

Dalam masa yang sama, mungkin ramai yang masih teringat kes cctv di bangunan komtar. Apapun kemungkinan perkara sebegini berlaku dan memalukan orang awam serta kakitangan kerajaan sendiri tentulah bukan tujuan sebenar cctv ini dipasangkan.

Kita berharap kematangan membuat polisi tertentu diberi pertimbangan yang tinggi dan adil buat semua. Bukannya kerana segelintir maka susu sebelanga dirosakkan.

Aku pun pening nak tulis benda macam ni.

Sesudah itu, timbul pula kisah seorang landlord memasang kamera berkenaan di 3 buah bilik air rumah yang disewakan kepada 19 orang wanita muda.

Ini apa yang nak jadi tak tahulah. Siapa pasang tak penting, tapi pasang di bilik air???

Anyway, ramai yang dok tension fikir benda macamni dah ada di merata-rata tempat. Eg. di England dulu masa terrorist bom rail bawah tanah, gambar mereka yang terlibat dirakam oleh cctv yang terdapat di sepanjang jalan masuk ke laluan keretapi bawah tanah itu. Ada baiknya juga bila berada ditempat yang sepatutnya.

Di negara kita cctv dah mula rakam banyak kes-kes langgar traffic lights, pandu laju, lalu lintas dsbnya.

Orang luar negara dah lama dok rakam gambar negara kita dari satelite.

Tapi yang hebat kadang-kala kita terlupa, cctv yang tuhan pasang dikiri kanan kita.....
Ooop..... nakpi sembahyang dah Isya .........

Cerita Dongeng

Suatu hari di sebuah warung bawah pokok di Empayar Melaka, abad ke-14. Laksamana Tuah bersama kawan karibnya, Tun Bendahara berduduk di bawah pokok menikmati teh tarik Mamak dan kuih Nyonya.

Tun Bendahara: Tuah, sepanjang malam aku tak tidur terfikir pasal si-Jebat tu. Tak terlantas aku kau sanggup membunuh dia.

Laksamana Tuah: Aiya Tun, lu tak faham lah. Kita mia olang cakap, manyak pantang kacau olang lain mia bini. Itu Jebat sudah... um... bo tua bo suey! Sultan mia gundik pun belani usik. Bikin malu keluarga Hang mia nama.

Tun Bendahara: Itu yang tak masuk akal, Tuah. Jebat tu kan adik kau sendiri? Kan orang putih cakap selalu cakap, "Blood is thicker than water"?

Laksamana Tuah: Adik da aanchua? Lu ingat jadi wa mia adik apa pun boleh bikin kah. Sekalang, wa bukan kerja sama sebalang olang tau. Wa mia bos, Sultan lah. Itu apa... belut... tikar...autar... olang putih mia cakap. Kita cakap, "Biar mati adik, jangan usik gundik!"

Tun Bendahara tidak berbalas. Beliau teringin sangat menegur Tuah pasal Bahasa Melayu Tuah yang cukup menyakitkan telinga, tetapi takut. Setiap kali si-pahlawan ini dipukau semangat patriotisme, dia suka hunus menjulang keris saktinya.

Laksamana Tuah: Woi Tun, wa cakap tak betui ah? Wa sudah lama tinggal sinilah. Kalau wa talak tolong jaga sama ini tempat, lu talak tolong jaga sama ini tempat - habis lah ini tempat.

Tun Bendahara: Kau takut apa, Tuah? Kalau musnah binasa Tanah Melayu ini, engkau masih boleh balik China.

Laksmana Tuah: Bukan balik tak balik mia pasal. Saya sudah lama duduk ini Tanah Melayu sampai sekalang saya pun sudah jadi olang Melayu mah.

Tun Bendahara: Eh, apa kau cakap tu, Tuah. Habis? Kalau tempat ini tukar nama jadi Malaysia, macam mana pulak?

Laksmana Tuah: Wa mah jadi olang Malaysia lah. Senang saja. Hahahaha! Wa sumpah sama lu, Tun, ta' Melayu hilang di dunia.

Tun Bendahara menjeling mata. Beliau sudah tidak tertahan dengan salahgunaan bahasa si-Cina ini. Kawalan pengunaan Bahasa Melayu Tuah cukup menyayatkan hati Tun. Tatabahasa silap. Peribahasa tak betul. Penggunaan pepatah Melayu pun salah. Imbuhan tak kena.

Tun Bendahara: Tuah, kau nak mengaku diri kau Melayu, aku tak kisah. Tapi, tolonglah bang, gunalah Bahasa Melayu yang tepat. Boleh tak? Apa ni, "Ta' Melayu hilang di dunia"? Cakap betul-betul - Tak akan hilang Melayu dari dunia ini!

Laksmana Tuah: Habis? Kalau ini tempat tukar nama jadi Malaysia apa macam? Hahahah!

Tun Bendahara: Maka kita katalah, "Tak akan hilang Malaysia dari dunia ini"! Hahah!

Laksmana Tuah: Wah, lu manyak pandai lah Tun. Okey, okey. Saya belanja lu makan Mi Goreng India. Mali, mali. Esok saya bawak Tun pigi tengok satu cun mia Puteli, atas gunung sana... Hahahahah....

Maka dengan adegan itu, tamatlah cerita cerita kita hari ini. Dua orang kuat Melaka ketawa terbahak-bahak di bawah teduh pokok Akasia ditebing muara, menanti akan pengembaraan mereka yang seterusnya, iaitu ke puncak Gunung Ledang.

The National Blunder of Malaysia

It's a shame when something that was meant to be good to the country by a certain few has been criticised by a lot more. This shows that it is not well accepted by most. Truly, somebody up there should listened more by being rationalistic. I wonder ....... why after 50 years of independence we still couldn't decide what is best. This writer has her part to let go ..... happy reading.

Have you ever wondered why the national language of Malaysia is called Bahasa Melayu and ALSO Bahasa Malaysia?

The forefathers of Malaysia has agreed among other things during formation of the nation, that the language of Malays, be the official language. The federal constitution guarantees this privileged status of Malay language or Bahasa Melayu in article 152.

But remember, this event took place during a transitional period from more than a century of British rule to a newly independent nation consisting of different races who are not really comfortable with each other.

One hundred years of using English primarily in schools and government offices to be replaced by Bahasa Melayu within ten years! A human factor that has to be considered is that not everyone has the ability to learn another language fast enough to suit government policy.
Unfortunately, politicians who were in the position to help out were doing the opposite. A bloody racial riot which started on May 13, 1969 prompted the Malaysian government to take remedial measures. One of the steps is to promote the official language as Bahasa Malaysia, literally the language of Malaysia, for a more universal appeal sanctioned by the National Language Act 1967.

Malaysians in general are not fussy about having two terms for their national language. So is their government. Says the Education Minister who eventually became deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak: "The government is not rigid about this. Although in the constitution the term Bahasa Melayu is used, in certain situations, the use of the term Bahasa Malaysia is allowed...We do not want to go into a debate on semantics. On the government's part, we are being pragmatic by accepting both. This is not an issue to be exaggerated."
However, there are still voices of dissent.

1994
-The Education Ministry issued a circular to the media sanctioning only " Bahasa Malaysia". This led to a debate between the Ministry and Malay literary circles.
1999-Malaysia's literary agency Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka ( DBP ) refused to publish a collection of short stories. The reason? The writers used the term " Bahasa Malaysia". DBP's stance is that Bahasa Malaysia is political and it acknowledges Bahasa Melayu. The strange part is, DBP has been publishing books using the term Bahasa Malaysia before this and continues to do so until as late as 2002.

2006
-The newly appointed Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said the term Bahasa Malaysia better reflects the mother tongue of Malaysians and not just of one ethnic group. " Bahasa Malaysia is for all, not just for Malays. Whoever resides in Malaysia, his mother tongue is Bahasa Malaysia...But there are certain parties that are seeking political gain by calling it Bahasa Melayu and using Malay sentiments. But the national language is Bahasa Malaysia. That was the wish of the Tunku ( Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia ) and the late Hussein Onn ( 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia )," he said.

Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore do not have this kind of story to tell. In fact, expatriates prefer learning Bahasa Indonesia to Bahasa Melayu or hmm Bahasa Malaysia.

Sigh...there is a motto in Malaysia that says the language reflects the spirit of the nation. You see the impressive Petronas Twin Towers and world class F1 racetracks but the nation that brings about these things is still undecisive about the identity of its language. What image does this portray? It is better to let Malaysia answer.

DPM on Bahasa Malaysia

The Cabinet’s move to revert to the term Bahasa Malaysia to refer to the national language should not be turned into a polemic issue, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the Government came to the decision because it was of the opinion that the national language should be a language for all races.
"We don’t want this matter to become a major polemic," he told reporters after the opening ceremony of the World Tourism Conference themed “Tourism Success Stories and Shooting Stars” here on Monday.
“We all know that the national language means the Bahasa Melayu (Malay language) but we want the language to belong to all Malaysians regardless of race, ethnic groups and so on.
"So, by referring to the language as Bahasa Malaysia means that the language belongs to all of us.”
He was asked to respond to The Star’s banner report on the Cabinet’s decision.
It was reported that all ministries, public universities and local institutions of higher learning have been directed to inform their relevant departments and agencies to begin using the term Bahasa Malaysia in letters, notices and documents with immediate effect.
It is understood that the heads of the various ministries are also sending out these directives following the Cabinet order.
Najib said the move was also aimed at promoting unity, integration, togetherness and usage of the language among Malaysians.
Tunku Abdul Rahman introduced the term Bahasa Malaysia after the country’s independence to inculcate a Malaysian identity.
However, when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim became the education minister in 1986, he dropped the term Bahasa Malaysia for Bahasa Melayu.

Tak habis-habis......

Back to Bahasa Malaysia

Back to Bahasa Malaysia

Bahasa Malaysia will again be the official term to be used to refer to the national language. In a unanimous decision last April, the Cabinet felt that reverting to the term Bahasa Malaysia would help inculcate a sense of belonging for all citizens irrespective of race, said Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin.
All ministries, public universities and local institutions of higher learning have been directed to inform their relevant departments and agencies to begin using the term Bahasa Malaysia in letters, notices and documents with immediate effect.
It is understood that the heads of the various ministries are sending out these directives following the Cabinet order.
“The Malay language belongs to Malaysians of all races and not just the Malays. The term Bahasa Malaysia would instil a sense of belonging,” Zainuddin told The Star yesterday.
He said the term Bahasa Malaysia was introduced by Tunku Abdul Rahman after the country's independence to inculcate a Malaysian identity.
“It was generally accepted and no one asked for a change until (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim became the education minister (in 1986).
“He dropped the term Bahasa Malaysia for Bahasa Melayu and it has remained that way. But now, we feel we should go back to the original term,” he said.
“RTM will use the term Bahasa Malaysia to refer to the Malay language from now. I have also instructed all private television and radio stations to comply.
“All newspapers, irrespective of language, will also have to refer to the language as Bahasa Malaysia,” he said.
By using the term Bahasa Malaysia, he said a psychological barrier would be removed, not just for Malays but also other races.
“The Malays, for example, must not see Bahasa Malaysia as a language used (solely) by themselves. If Malays truly want to promote the language regionally or globally, they should not be worried if others use it for religious reasons such as their books and sermons.
“Similarly, non-Malays would also not see the language as a Malay language but a language that belongs to them,” he said.
Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the move “is to show that the language does not belong to just one race.”
“This is for national unity,” he said.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the decision was most timely “as we celebrate the country’s 50th national day”.
“The term Bahasa Malaysia is more appropriate as it will build a greater sense of nationalism for all Malaysians,” Chan, who is also MCA deputy-president, said.
Concurring, MCA secretary-general Datuk Ong Ka Chuan said the term Bahasa Malaysia was an original one was accepted by most Malaysians.

Fish Sambal (Sambal Ikan)

Serve with boiled rice or use as sandwich filling or topping for bruschetta.























Ingredients

100g red snapper fillet, cubed and grilled
40g big onions, sliced
20g fresh red chillies, sliced
10g bird’s eye chillies, sliced finely
10g turmeric leaves, sliced finely
20ml lime juice
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, except the last three. Pound lightly in a mortar to flatten the fish. Drizzle over the lime juice and season to taste with salt and sugar.

No harm in trying, don't you think?
(sedapnimim)

ISTIMEWANYA WANITA

1- Wanita auratnya lebih susah dijaga berbanding lelaki.

2- Wanita perlu meminta izin dari suaminya apabila mahu keluar rumah
tetapi tidak sebaliknya.

3- Wanita saksinya kurang berbanding lelaki.

4- Wanita menerima pusaka kurang dari lelaki.

5- Wanita perlu menghadapi kesusahan mengandung dan melahirkan anak.

6- Wanita wajib taat kpd suaminya tetapi suami tak perlu taat pd
isterinya.

7- Talak terletak di tgn suami dan bukan isteri.

8- Wanita kurang dlm beribadat kerana masalah haid dan nifas yg tak ada
pada lelaki.

Pernahkah kita lihat sebaliknya??

Benda yg mahal harganya akan dijaga dan dibelai serta disimpan di tempat yg tersorok dan selamat. Sudah pasti intan permata tidak akan dibiar bersepah- sepah bukan? Itulah bandingannya dgn seorg wanita. Wanita perlu taat kpd suami tetapi lelaki wajib taat kepada ibunya 3 kali lebih utama dari bapanya. Bukankah ibu adalah seorang wanita?

Wanita menerima pusaka kurang dari lelaki tetapi harta itu menjadi milik peribadinya dan tidak perlu diserahkan kepada suaminya, manakala lelaki menerima pusaka perlu menggunakan hartanya utk menyara isteri dan anak anak. Wanita perlu bersusah payah mengandung dan melahirkan anak, tetapi setiap saat dia didoakan oleh segala haiwan, malaikat dan seluruh makhluk ALLAH di mukabumi ini, dan matinya jika kerana melahirkan adalah syahid kecil. Manakala dosanya diampun ALLAH (dosa kecil). Di akhirat kelak, seorang lelaki akan dipertanggungjawabkan terhadap 4 wanita ini: isterinya, ibunya, anak perempuannya dan saudara perempuannya.

Manakala seorang wanita pula, tanggungjawab terhadapnya ditanggung oleh 4 org lelaki ini: suaminya, ayahnya, anak lelakinya dan saudara lelakinya.

Seorang wanita boleh memasuki pintu Syurga melalui mana-mana pintu Syurga yg disukainya cukup dgn 4 syarat shj: Sembahyang 5 waktu, puasa di bulan Ramadhan, taat suaminya dan menjaga kehormatannya. (betulkan jika saya tersilap).

Seorg lelaki perlu pergi berjihad fisabilillah tetapi wanita jika taat akan suaminya serta menunaikan tanggungjawabnya kepada ALLAH akan turut menerima pahala seperti pahala org pergi berperang fisabilillah tanpa perlu mengangkat senjata.

MasyaALLAH... sayangnya ALLAH pada wanita... kan?

RAHASIA MENGAPA ALLAH TIDAK SEGERA MENYIKSA ORANG-ORANG KAFIR

Salah satu rahasia yang diungkapkan dalam al-Qur'an adalah bahawa manusia tidak segera dibalas atas perbuatan buruk yang mereka lakukan, tetapi siksa tersebut ditangguhkan hingga waktu tertentu. Hal ini dikemukakan dalam ayat-ayat sebagai berikut:
“Dan kalau sekiranya Allah menyiksa manusia disebabkan usahanya, niscaya Dia tidak akan meninggalkan di atas permukaan bumi suatu makhluk yang melata pun akan tetapi Allah menangguhkan mereka, sampai waktu tertentu; maka apabila datang ajal mereka, maka sesungguhnya Allah adalah Maha Melihat hamba-hamba-Nya.” (Q.s. Fathir: 45).
“Dan Tuhanmulah Yang Maha Pengampun lagi mempunyai rahmat. Jika Dia mengazab mereka Kerana perbuatan mereka, tentu Dia akan menyegerakan azab bagi mereka. Tetapi bagi mereka ada waktu yang tertentu yang mereka sekali-kali tidak akan menemukan tempat berlindung daripadanya.” (Q.s. al-Kahfi: 58).
Bahawa ramai orang yang tidak segera dibalas atas perbuatan buruk mereka menyebabkan mereka beranggapan bahawa mereka tidak akan pernah diminta tanggung jawab atas perbuatan jahat mereka. Anggapan ini menyebabkan mereka tidak mahu bertaubat, merasa menyesal, dan memperbaiki kesalahan mereka. Di samping itu, hal tersebut semakin menambah keangkuhan mereka. Kerana terjauh dari hikmah, mereka tidak dapat melihat bahawa apa yang mereka lakukan itu akan menyebabkan datangnya azab, bahkan azab tersebut semakin berat di akhirat kelak. Dalam al-Qur'an, Allah menyatakan sebagai berikut:
“Dan janganlah sekali-kali orang-orang kafir menyangka bahawa pemberian tangguh Kami kepada mereka adalah lebih baik bagi mereka. Sesungguhnya Kami memberi tangguh kepada mereka hanyalah supaya bertambah-tambah dosa mereka, dan bagi mereka azab yang menghinakan.” (Q.s. Ali Imran: 178).
Inilah penangguhan yang diberikan Allah untuk menguji manusia. Namun, tentu saja ada waktu yang telah ditetapkan Allah sehingga setiap orang akan dibalas atas apa yang mereka perbuat. Ketika waktu yang ditetapkan ini tiba, maka waktu tersebut tidak dapat ditunda atau dipercepat, meskipun hanya sesaat. Allah memberi tahu kita bahawa setiap orang pasti akan memperoleh balasan:
“Dan sekiranya tidak ada suatu ketetapan dari Allah yang telah terdahulu atau tidak ada ajal yang telah ditentukan, pasti (azab itu) menimpa mereka.” (Q.s. Thaha: 129).
“Dan Aku tangguhkan mereka. Sesungguhnya rencana-Ku amat teguh.” (Q.s. al-A'raf: 183).

Sceneric view

NURUL then 5 yrs old

Nice sceneric place.

sometime in Dec 2002

No more UPSR and PMR

Since yesterday, many parents were talking about school without exams. The proposal was made by the Malaysian Examina-tions Syndicate (MES) to abolish the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR).

The proposed school-based assessment system to replace two major public examinations would increase the workload of teachers, state National Union of Teaching Profession chairman Lim Ming Tzong said.
“In this modern times, more and more parents are relying on teachers to not only educate their children but also to discipline them.
“This has made the teaching profession become unattractive and if this proposed system is to be implemented, teachers will be overburdened with the responsibility of planning, implementing and preparing the reports for the assessment,'' he said.

Some teacher were too frantic about it and start accusing the ministry of trying to overload teachers with another task, ie, to run school based assessment test in the place of UPSR and PMR.

Whatever it is, I don't agree that teachers will be burden with this, because all this while they have been doing it with all the monthly test, not forgetting the twice annually school exam which was never ever overlooked by any school.

With the implementation of school based assessment test or examination the teachers will surely be more responsible for their pupils achivement as the test and examinations which their pupils sit are being prepared by the teachers themselves.

The education ministry I assume must have something in their mind when the proposal was made. Even by now, the ministry has decided that the teachers in charge of examinations be given a computer, which is to be used to gather information and data of students achivement, to store students progress records and other necessary items in running the examinations successfully.

It wouldn't surprised me if extra hands are hired in schools by the ministry in years to come, to make sure that school based examinations or assessment test are conducted in a fairly orderly manner plus taking off the workload for teachers to fill in forms, to key in datas' of students achivement or to prepare students progress records and certificates.

So what has teachers to lose in this proposal? I don't tthink the NUPT chairman of Penang state really knows what he is talking about.

I fully support these opinion:

SJK(C) Kwong Hwa Parent-Teac-her Association (PTA) chairman Ong Thean Lye welcomed the proposal, saying “the present system is too exam-oriented”.
“Students these days just want to concentrate on the exam subjects while a subject like Moral Education, which is important in moulding a student’s personal character and development, is not given any attention,” he said.
Parent Audrey Cheong, 41, has always believed that a student does not need to have a string of As to be successful in life.
Cheong, who has a daughter in Year One, said she had even asked teachers in her daughter’s school not to put her in the first class.
“I want her to enjoy her school life as learning should be fun. If she is in the first class, she would be pressured to do well,” she said.

I think these are well headed people than the one above

Kaunter LHDN diserbu

PETUGAS LHDN menunjukkan peti untuk orang ramai memasukkan borang taksiran cukai pendapatan mereka di Kaunter LHDN Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

KUALA LUMPUR 30 April – Kaunter Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) Jalan Duta di sini ‘diserbu’ pembayar cukai yang mahu menunaikan tanggungjawab itu pada saat-saat akhir.Ini kerana, hari ini merupakan hari terakhir bagi orang ramai mengembalikan borang cukai pendapatan mereka.Tinjauan Utusan Malaysia mendapati, orang ramai menyerbu kaunter tersebut seawal pukul 8 pagi. Walaupun terdapat kemudahan e-filing, orang ramai terus ‘berpusu-pusu’ bagi menunaikan tanggungjawab masing-masing.Difahamkan, kesukaran untuk mengakses sistem e-filing menyebabkan orang ramai terpaksa menyerbu kaunter-kaunter LHDN.Bilangan pengunjung semakin bertambah menjelang waktu tengah hari apabila pembayar cukai terdiri daripada kakitangan kerajaan, swasta dan persendirian memanfaatkan waktu rehat bagi menunaikan tanggungjawab tersebut.Kehadiran begitu ramai pembayar cukai turut menyebabkan jalan masuk ke kompleks kerajaan itu menjadi sesak.Ini kerana, kekurangan kawasan letak kereta memaksa orang ramai meletakkan kenderaan mereka di sepanjang bahu jalan. Begitu pun, kehadiran anggota polis trafik berjaya mengawal keadaan.Bagi memudahkan urusan pembayar cukai, pihak LHDN telah menyediakan kaunter-kaunter di Blok 8A dan 11. Ia termasuk kaunter-kaunter bagi perkhidmatan e-filing. Kesemua kaunter itu akan beroperasi sehingga pukul 10 malam.Dalam pada itu, beberapa pembayar cukai yang ditemui memberi pelbagai alasan kenapa menunaikan tanggungjawab itu pada saat-saat akhir.

What a brain!

By Dr LEE MOON KEEN

Though the physical body inevitably winds down with age, there’s no reason why the brain should suffer the same fate.
IN the developed world, and now increasingly in developing countries such as Malaysia, a person can reasonably expect to live for quite a long time past middle age.
No longer is one considered “old” at the present retirement age of 56 years. In fact, back in 2004, life expectancy for Malaysians had already reached 69 years for men and 74 years for women. Life expectancy will continue to increase with better health status in the whole population.
Unfortunately, the later years come with a risk of dementia – a feebleness of the mind, a slowing of the intellect. The incidence of dementia doubles every five years after the age of 65 so that there is a 22% risk in those over 80.
There is, therefore, a discrepancy between physical well-being and brain function in a large proportion of the elderly.
And yet, now and then, we are cheered by a report of some very senior person living in good health past the age of 100, with the mind alert and wits intact. In fact, a rather “with-it” centenarian named Olive Riley, living in Sydney aged 107, even has a blog site – check this out at http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/
Can we hope to live longer lives and still maintain our mental capacity? How is brain function preserved? Can we prevent mental decline?

The brain weighs on average only three pounds but co-ordinates the myriad functions needed to maintain our physical, emotional and intellectual selves. – Photos.com
A complex and delicate structure

The brain weighs only three pounds but co-ordinates the myriad functions needed to maintain our physical, emotional and intellectual selves.
Brain power can be diminished by disease, but more commonly, the feebleness is more gradual over the passage of time, the so called “age-related mental decline”.
This is well documented, and quite poignantly summarised by Shakespeare in the 16th century in “The Seven Ages of Man” (see quotation above).
Mental decline due to disease is termed dementia, the causes being Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia.
Rather than focus on disease, this article will deal with keeping the brain healthy and forestalling, as far as possible, age-related mental decline.

Is age-related mental decline inevitable?
Casual observation will reveal that at least some people remain mentally sharp up to an advanced age.
Travel documentaries are replete with very senior citizens toiling away and smiling for the camera in regions as diverse as Okinawa and Azerbaijan. Famous geriatric personages are Mahatma Gandhi (died at 78; assassinated) and Winston Churchill (died at 90; stroke).
That “normal folks” can remain mentally agile has now been confirmed in a large study on 9,704 women conducted at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco, as part of a broader study on osteoporotic fractures.
It was reported: “One in 10 women will reach the age of 85 with their mental abilities completely intact, while another 58% will experience only minor reductions in their cognitive abilities”.
It can be presumed that a study of elderly men would bear similar results.

Is brain-power pre-determined?
There is no doubt that a large part of brain functioning is governed by the genes you inherit.
The highest percentage of long-lived people has been recorded in Okinawa, Japan, where the frequency of centenarians is 40–50 per 100,000 persons compared to 10–20 per 100,000 in industrialised countries.
These healthy elderly were also mentally agile.

How can we improve on our genetic endowment?
We can nurture the brain and enhance function up to an advanced age. This is achieved by providing a supportive environment for the brain and avoiding harm from external sources.
The first crucial stage of brain development takes place in the womb during the earliest part of pregnancy.

Provide good nutrition in the womb
It goes without saying that maintaining good health in the mother can only be good for the baby. Pregnant mothers should have a well-balanced and nutritious diet supplemented with vitamins.
A special mention should be made of folate, one of the B vitamins. This should be taken before and during pregnancy to prevent maldevelopment of the brain and spinal cord in the developing baby.
Major neural tube defects are anencephaly (failure of the brain to form, a fatal malformation) and the less severe but still disabling spina bifida (failure of the spinal cord to fold and close up).
Folate is especially important for those who abuse alcohol and for people who have abnormal forms of the oxygen-carrying haemoglobin, such as occurs in thalassaemia.
Is there any other supplement one could take? It turns out that at least one old wives’ tale has been borne out.
In a recent study conducted in Bristol, greater intake of fish and seafood by mothers during pregnancy was associated with higher IQ and better social skills in their children.
The study confirmed that omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish are very important for brain development.
The benefit was evident in spite of the presumed adverse effect on nerve development of mercury which has been detected in many types of large fish in the waters of the Western Hemisphere as a result of environmental pollution. Omega-3 fatty acids are most abundant in oily fish.

Avoid harm to the baby
Prevent toxins from reaching the baby. It makes sense to avoid contact with chemicals and other harmful substances during pregnancy. Discuss any medications with your doctor to check if they are safe.
Smoking in pregnancy has been proven to affect baby’s development, and result in small babies. It has now been shown in a Dutch study that smoking specifically slows the growth of baby’s head. Pregnant mothers are now discouraged from smoking.
Substance abuse of any kind (cannabis, glue, Ecstasy, etc.) can bring disastrous effects on both mother and child.
Beyond taking proper nutrition, the pregnant woman should maintain a healthy balance between reasonable activity and adequate rest. Stress is a big “no-no”.
Maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with increased levels of stress hormones which may increase the likelihood of premature birth, delayed childhood development and behavioural abnormalities in adult life.

It's all numbers to me...exercise your mind with mental activities and problem solving.

How to keep your brain young
Provide nutrition for the brain – we are what we eat.

In addition to a good set of genes, the long and healthy lives of the Okinawa people is attributed to consumption of locally grown vegetables and huge quantities of tofu and seaweed. Before the advent of modernisation, their diet was lean in calories, low in sugar and fat and devoid of processed or canned food.
This advantage was lost when they emigrated elsewhere or changed to a more modern lifestyle and eating habits, as practiced by the younger generations.
A similar dietary pattern is found in the exceptionally healthy and long-lived Abkhazians in Central Russia, the Vilcabambans in Ecuador, and the Hunzans in Pakistan.
Their diet is low in calories with fresh food which came from natural sources such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Conversely, it is low in fat (in fact devoid of animal fats). There are no processed foods, sugar, preservatives, artificial flavours, or other chemicals.
It has been found that the modern “Western” diet has a higher proportion of omega-6 compared to omega-3 fatty acids (at around 15:1) compared to that of our ancestors, whose intake was probably in a 1:1 ratio.
Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish, game and vegetables have been largely replaced by omega-6 fatty acids of cereal oils.
This is believed to contribute to diseases of ageing. A ratio of about 3:1 is associated with lower risk of degenerative diseases.
A study at Tufts University in Boston showed that people who ate the most fish (equivalent to three servings of oily fish per week) were nearly 50% less likely to develop dementia.
These people had higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the so-called “heart-healthy” omega-3 fatty acid. Higher consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is, of course, also good for heart health.
It is not known if omega-3 supplements are needed if an appropriate omega fatty acid ratio is maintained through sensible eating.
In sum, a brain healthy diet is nutritionally balanced, low in calories, fat and sugar; ideally fresh, with minimal processing; and has a favourable omega fatty acid composition.

Avoid head injury
The brain is a soft structure contained within the skull. It is easily damaged from direct and indirect impacts. Quite a number of human activities expose the brain to physical injury. Road traffic accidents, extreme sports and dangerous work may all cause the loss of valuable brain cells.
In fact, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons has debated whether to call for a ban on boxing as a sport. Do take reasonable care and wear protective head-gear to avoid injury in your daily activities.

Zero tolerance for ingested toxins
A great number of chemical and organic substances may poison our brain cells. Every day, people consume toxins without paying much attention to the consequences. The principal neuro toxins around us are alcohol and tobacco smoke. A recent European study confirmed that smoking speeds up brain decline in the elderly by a factor of five times. It was thought that smoking accelerates atherosclerosis and contributes to high blood pressure, stroke and small artery blockage in the brain.
Keep our environment safe
Children can suffer brain damage from being exposed to chemicals, such as very low levels of lead. Even adults may suffer from environmental toxins.
There have been tragic incidents of environmental neurotoxins causing epidemics of brain diseases. In Minamata, Japan, mercury poisoning was due to environmental contamination.
On the other hand, a freak accident of nature in the Chamorro Islands resulted in an epidemic of muscular weakness, parkinsonism and dementia in young people, which was eventually traced to poisoning through seeds of the cycad plant (the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam).
As a concerned citizen, support initiatives to minimise pollution.
Brain maintenance – neuroprotective foods
The brain needs help with the removal of damaging products of its metabolism. The free radical concept of ageing holds that free radicals, (charged oxygen molecules) which are produced in the body’s metabolism of oxygen, cause the oxidation of lipids, protein and nucleic acids, a process termed oxidative stress.
Antioxidants help to protect against the effects of free radical damage. Sources of antioxidants are foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E. A group of compounds called flavonoids have been reported to protect against brain ageing by acting as an antioxidant and reducing inflammation.
Returning to the Okinawan story, the native diet is high in flavonoid content. Foods which are rich in flavonoids are red grapes, red wine, chocolate, cocoa, white onions, ginger, garlic, turmeric, and tea (both green and black varieties).
A comprehensive list is available from the US Department of Agriculture at http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata/flavonoid.
What about supplements?
It is now quite common for supplements to be taken in the hope of promoting healthy ageing. However, there is as yet no definitive proof of benefit from any agent, including gingko biloba, ginseng, folic acid, or Coenzyme Q10.
The same goes for drugs such as statins, aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and hormone replacement therapy. Research is ongoing to identify nootropics, drugs which can maintain brain function.

A healthy mind in a healthy body
For the brain to function optimally, the body as a whole needs to be in good health.
Absence of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and heart disease will contribute to brain health. General good health goes a long way to preserve mental agility.
Quite apart from promoting heart and lung function, recent studies suggest that physical activity in early and mid-adult life can help prevent dementia. Exercise is associated with increase in levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which enhances brain function, as well as reduced build-up of beta-amyloid, the abnormal protein which accumulates in Alzheimer’s disease.
In this regard, aerobic exercise appears to more beneficial than anaerobic exercise. This is yet another incentive to keep physically active.

An active mind is a healthy mind
Exercise your mind with mental activities and problem solving. The more the mind is exercised through mental tasks, the more likely it is to stay nimble. This is most pleasurably done by staying engaged with life.
When you retire from work, do not retire from life! Being productive gives a sense of self-worth and well-being. Emotionally sustaining social networks such as family and friends keep the elderly active and make them feel valued.
Stay happy. Stress and depression during adult life has been found to be a risk factor for future development of dementia.
Finally, a February report announced that coffee drinking slows cognitive decline. So stay active and happy with friends at your neighbourhood warung kopi or other suitable coffee outlets.

Tiada alasan lagi guru tak mampu miliki komputer

KETIKA Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pelajaran, Datuk Fatimah Md Deni mengumumkan lebih 300,000 guru sekolah rendah dan menengah di seluruh negara berpeluang memiliki komputer riba apabila kementerian memperkenalkan skim pinjaman atau pembiayaan 50-50, pastinya ramai guru berasa lega dan tidak sabar menunggu pelaksanaannya.

Kenyataan Fatimah menunjukkan beliau akur dengan keluhan ramai guru subjek lain yang tidak dibekalkan komputer riba sehingga ada menyatakan kementerian pilih kasih dan hanya mengutamakan guru Sains dan Matematik. Setakat ini kementerian hanya membekalkan komputer riba kepada guru subjek terbabit selain guru yang menjalankan tugas khas lain seperti setiausaha peperiksaan, penyelaras Hal Ehwal Murid dan Sistem Maklumat Pengurusan Pelajaran (EMIS).

Jika diperhalusi rintihan guru selama ini, kementerian perlu mengakui hakikat kerana guru selama ini dibebani pelbagai tugas yang memerlukan mereka menggunakan komputer seperti merekod data.

Selain itu, guru juga memerlukan komputer untuk memudahkan mereka menyediakan bahan bantu mengajar selain kadangkala perlu menyiapkan pelbagai laporan yang diminta pihak sekolah. Tidak cukup dengan itu, guru sewajarnya menguasai kemahiran teknologi maklumat (ICT) kerana nampaknya kementerian kini begitu agresif menjadikan ICT sebagai kepentingan yang diberi perhatian.

Jelas sekali keperluan guru memiliki komputer peribadi bukan untuk kepentingan diri, tetapi untuk urusan rasmi sekolah. Benar, memang setiap sekolah disediakan makmal komputer dan guru boleh menggunakannya, namun adakah komputer di situ memenuhi keperluan guru dan relevan untuk kegunaan harian guru?

Presiden Kesatuan Perkhidmatan Perguruan Kebangsaan (NUTP), Anuar Ibrahim, berkata sepanjang pemerhatiannya, hampir semua sekolah berdepan dengan masalah penyelenggaraan komputer dan boleh dikatakan banyak komputer di makmal tidak dapat digunakan kerana pelbagai masalah.

“Selain jumlah komputer terhad, peraturan makmal yang ketat juga sering menyebabkan guru tidak dapat menggunakan komputer pada masa diperlukan. Apabila jadual yang membolehkan mereka menggunakan komputer, pada masa sama guru berkenaan perlu mengajar di kelas hingga menyukarkan mereka menyiapkan tugasan.

“Kebanyakan guru lebih selesa menyiapkan kerja di luar waktu persekolahan seperti pada waktu malam, tetapi mustahil mereka boleh menggunakan makmal komputer pada waktu malam. Jelas sekali, semua guru perlu mempunyai komputer sendiri,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun beliau berkata, walaupun kerajaan ada menyediakan skim pinjaman untuk pembelian komputer, adakah wajar guru menanggung beban hutang untuk menjalankan urusan sekolah. Jika guru terpaksa berhutang, itu sudah menjadi hak peribadi sedangkan tidak ramai guru yang menggunakan komputer untuk urusan peribadi.

“Malah, bukan semua orang suka berhutang. Sehubungan itu, langkah kementerian yang mahu memperkenalkan skim bayaran 50-50 itu wajar disegerakan untuk menangani masalah ini,” katanya.

Guru juga kadangkala dibebani arahan menghadiri kursus dengan membawa komputer riba sendiri. Masalahnya, bagaimana mereka boleh membawa komputer sedangkan mereka tidak memilikinya. Memang guru boleh meminjam daripada guru Sains dan Matematik (PPSMI), tetapi sering kali pula mereka berdepan masalah kerana guru PPSMI juga hendak menggunakan komputer bagi tujuan pengajaran dan pembelajaran.

Dalam usaha kementerian menggalakkan perkembangan ICT di sekolah sehinggakan baru-baru ini Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, mengumumkan untuk memperluaskan pengetahuan ICT pada peringkat prasekolah pula, tidakkah mereka sedar bahawa kepentingan yang lebih utama adalah memastikan semua guru menguasai kemahiran ICT terlebih dulu.

Teringat kata-kata bekas Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran, Tan Sri Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad, “untuk memastikan hasrat kerajaan membina modal insan, kita perlu memastikan insan di negara ini mampu dijadikan modal. Untuk menjadikan mereka modal, kita memerlukan modal lain untuk menyuntik kemampuan mereka dan modal itu adalah pendidikan. Untuk menyampaikan pendidikan pula, kita memerlukan pendidik yang berkemahiran”. Jadi, jelas sekali sebelum ICT diperluaskan kepada semua peringkat, pendidik perlu menguasai bidang itu sepenuhnya.

Namun, semua pihak perlu sedar, untuk menguasai bidang yang bersifat kemahiran itu, latihan berterusan diperlukan dan ia mustahil dicapai jika guru tidak mempraktikkannya selalu di rumah dan di tempat kerja. Berilah pelbagai kursus sekalipun, tetapi jika peluang mempraktikkannya terhad, semua kursus itu adalah sia-sia.

Sehubungan itu, Anuar berkata, guru perlu memiliki komputer riba 24 jam dan bukan terpaksa beratur menunggu giliran di makmal sehingga kadangkala gagal menyiapkan kerja yang diberi tepat pada masanya. Kadangkala kerana terpaksa menyiapkan kerja di makmal, urusan mengajar yang lebih penting tidak dapat dilaksanakan dengan sempurna.

“Jika kementerian memandang serius perkara ini, pengumuman Fatimah itu wajar dilaksanakan segera. Jangan sekadar membuat pengumuman gembira, tetapi pelaksanaannya terus senyap tanpa berita. Semua warga pendidik tetap menaruh harapan agar cadangan kementerian menjadi kenyataan.

“Jika hendak menyahut seruan kerajaan, satu rumah satu komputer, pendidik terlebih perlu perlu mempunyai komputer. Jangan nanti, murid lebih mahir menggunakan komputer sedangkan guru terpinga-pinga mengingati kembali kaedah menggunakan komputer yang jarang dipraktikkan,” katanya.

Years of rubbish cleared

What happens when one collects rubbish for four years? It took 40 council workers an hour to load it onto a three-tonne truck. And that's only the garbage from the driveway and garden of the house.

Forty council workers took one hour to fill a three-tonne lorry with rubbish from the driveway and garden of a double-storey link house in Taman Cempaka here yesterday.
And the clean-up job is not over because there is a mountain of rotting garbage inside the locked house, believed to have been accumulated over the past four years by the 73-year-old owner of the property.
The council’s legal department will be obtaining a court order to enable them to enter the house and remove the huge pile of smelly rubbish.
Yesterday, the council went to the house at 9am following complaints from neighbours of a stink coming from the man’s house due to his peculiar habit of collecting and keeping rubbish and junk.

Tonnes of trash: Rubbish and junk taking up most of the space inside the Taman Cempaka house in Ipoh


What happens when one collects rubbish for four years? It took 40 council workers an hour to load it onto a three-tonne truck. And that's only the garbage from the driveway and garden of the house.The houseowner was not in, but the front gate was open.
Old furniture, clothes, broken flower and cooking pots, plastic ware, bicycles, newspapers, rotten fruit and rusting refrigerators were among the items removed from the compound.
Council assistant public relations officer Mohd Syahrizal Azmi said the amount of rubbish in the compound alone filled the three-tonne lorry.
On Tuesday, Datuk Bandar Datuk Mohamad Rafiai Moktar had visited the house and instructed his men to carry out the cleaning operation.
Mohd Syahrizal said: “We have to do the cleaning up for him as the rubbish is a health hazard.”
He said the man would be brought to court to face charges of non-compliance with three notices compelling him to clean up the rubbish, which were issued since 2005.

.“He will be charged under Section 82 of the Local Government Act 1976 where he can be fined up to RM1,000 or jail up to six months, or both, if convicted,” he added.
The man had been staying in the house for the past 10 years, but his strange habit began about four years ago, neighbours said.
It is believed that his wife and a son left the house about three years ago.

Millions lost in e-invest scam

Minggu lepas seorang kawan bergurau bila diberitahu bahawa saya sedang menghadiri mesyuarat pada jam 6.30 petang. Katanya mesyuarat kedai kopi sedang bincang pasal pelaburan di internet. Jawab saya ini meeting betul dan serius, dalam hati pula berkata tak mainla cari kekayaan secara segera macam tu. Tiba-tiba semalam heboh pasal tak boleh access website pelaburan tu. Berita selanjutnya dari The Star..........

PENANG: Thousands of people nationwide are believed to have lost several million ringgit in an Internet “investment” scheme known as buy-e-barrel which has closed down abruptly.
Investors have been unable to log onto their online accounts over the past two weeks.
An investor, who declined to be named, said he managed to “escape” before the US-based pyramid scheme collapsed.
“I made a few thousand ringgit from the scheme which offered daily interest of between 2% and 3% for an investment of between US$100 (RM345) and US$2,000 (RM6,900),” he said.
He believed that many of those who lost their money were government servants, adding that they took part in the scheme at the tailend.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said the police were aware of such a scheme but had yet to receive any report from those who lost money.
He advised victims to lodge police reports if they had been cheated so that they could investigate the case as cheating.
The Securities Commission has issued an alert on more than 50 websites which
promised quick returns with minimum investments and urged the public not to invest in them.
“These websites are not authorised or approved under the country's securities laws to deal in securities or whatever investments,” ACP Azam said.
Buy-e-barrel was among the websites mentioned in the SC list at: http://thestar.com.my/news/www.sc.com.my/eng/html/licensing/%20investors/Alert_list.html.
The SC recently froze two bank accounts with RM1.6mil and closed two websites
said to be connected to a global Internet investment scam run by Cambridge Capital Trading.
Last week, the National Fatwa Council passed a fatwa forbidding Muslims from investing in shares on the Internet.

Pasangan Myanmar sedih dilempar pelbagai tohmahan

KUALA LUMPUR: Pasangan suami isteri warga Myanmar yang ‘menyimpan’ Muhamad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali atau Yin, 5, selama 15 hari sebelum menyerahkan kepada ibu bapa kanak-kanak itu, amat sedih berikutan pelbagai tohmahan dilemparkan terhadap mereka sepanjang tempoh tahanan reman sejak Isnin lalu.

Mohd Abdul Rahman Doli Rahman, 31, dan isterinya, Noorshida Nur Islam, 27, ditahan reman empat hari selepas didakwa mengurung kanak-kanak berkenaan sejak menemuinya 31 Mac lalu dan ketika ditahan, mereka mendakwa tidak tahu Yin dilaporkan hilang dan gerakan mencarinya dijalankan secara besar-besaran di seluruh negara.Mereka dibebaskan dengan jaminan polis, semalam.Noorshida berkata, dia tidak pernah memaksa Yin mengemis di sekitar Lembah Klang seperti didakwa, malah tidak akan berbuat demikian kerana anak-anaknya turut tidak pernah disuruh mengemis.“Kami tidak pernah mengemis seperti didakwa, anak-anak pun saya tidak suruh mengemis atau meminta sedekah malah mereka kami hantar ke sekolah,” katanya pada sidang akhbar yang dipengerusikan Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (Suhakam), Datuk N Sivasubramaniam.Noorshida berkata, dia dan suami juga sangat sedih apabila status anaknya dipertikaikan walaupun lima kanak-kanak itu anak kandungnya.“Saya mempunyai bukti saya melahirkan mereka di HKL dan kami mempunyai kad pengenalan diri anak-anak kami yang dikeluarkan Suruhanjaya Tinggi Bagi Pelarian Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (UNHCR),” katanya.Pasangan warga Myanmar terbabit turut kesal kerana ada pihak menuduh mereka enggan memulangkan Yin semata-mata inginkan mendapatkan ganjaran wang.Sementara itu, Sivasubramaniam berharap orang ramai memberi tanggapan positif terhadap pasangan Myanmar terbabit kerana mereka belum disabitkan sebarang kesalahan.“Selama ini semua pihak memberi tanggapan negatif, kasihanilah mereka yang selama ini menjaga Yin dengan baik sehingga membelikan sepasang baju baru walaupun tidak berduit.“Pasangan terbabit dijangka berjumpa anak mereka esok (hari ini) yang kini ditempatkan di rumah kebajikan,” katanya.Terdahulu, Mohd Abdul Rahman dan Noorshida dibebaskan dari Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi selepas tempoh tahanan reman mereka yang bermula Isnin lalu, tamat semalam.Pasangan terbabit dilihat keluar dari perkarangan IPD Dang Wangi dengan menaiki van kira-kira jam 3.40 petang bagi menghadiri sidang media di pejabat Suhakam.Peguam yang mewakili pasangan terbabit, Pritam Singh Doal, berkata mereka diikat jamin dengan dua penjamin iaitu seorang daripadanya warga tempatan dan seorang lagi bertaraf penduduk tetap.“Sepatutnya pasangan ini didakwa pagi tadi tetapi dibebaskan dengan ikat jamin polis.“Kedua-duanya dijamin penjamin masing-masing dan dibebaskan hasil perbincangan pegawai penyiasat dengan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya selama tiga jam,” katanya ketika dihubungi.Yin, hilang ketika mengikut ibu bapanya membeli-belah di Kompleks Sogo di sini, kira-kira jam 2 petang, 31 Mac lalu sebelum dia dijumpai wanita warga Myanmar yang mendakwa membawa kanak-kanak itu pulang ke rumahnya di Sentul Pasar di sini.Pasangan warga Myanmar terbabit menyerahkan kembali Yin ke pangkuan keluarganya Sabtu lalu dan mendakwa tidak mengetahui kanak-kanak itu dicari ibu bapanya dengan alasan mereka buta huruf dan tiada televisyen di rumah.Mereka ditahan polis pada Ahad lalu untuk membantu siasatan selepas keterangan yang diberi meragukan.

How to stop monkey attacks

Quiet moment:Monkeys taking a break from the chase for food,

a natural scene at the Botanical Garden, Penang, Malaysia

THE public should not carry plastic bags to the Penang Botanic Gardens to prevent from being attacked by monkeys.
The monkeys there associated colourful, transparent bags with food and would rush to grab them from visitors, State Wildlife and National Parks Department director Hasnan Yusop said.
“Monkeys are opportunists and will not hesitate to act when they think there is food. Backpacks and sling bags are all right but monkeys get excited when they see plastic bags because visitors often feed these primates groundnuts and bread brought into the gardens in these bags,” he said, adding that the department would suggest to gardens curator Lim Boon Teong to prohibit visitors from bringing food into the gardens.
“Currently, there are signboards warning visitors against feeding the monkeys but it would be more effective if we were to prevent people from bringing food in all together,” he said.
Last year, the department received about 300 complaints on aggressive monkey attacks from all over the state, he said, noting that surveys conducted by the department showed that most visitors who were attacked were carrying plastic bags.

.“About six months ago, we planted about 1,000 commercial fruit trees on 161 hectares of green lung area outside the Botanic Gardens.
“This pilot project is meant to make the area more habitable for monkeys so that their population inside the gardens can be reduced.
“Once the trees start bearing fruit in a few years, we will move some of the monkeys to the new habitat. Then we will be able to gauge the effectiveness of the project.
“If successful, we will recom-mend that hotels in the Tanjung Bunga and Batu Ferringhi areas plant fruit trees to prevent monkeys from causing chaos on their premises,” he said, adding that the monkey population in the gardens was 300 last year.
“There are seven groups, each led by an alpha male. Most attacks are by the older alpha males which can bite off a finger if provoked,” he said.
A reader, who only wanted to be known as Jeff, wrote to The Star recently claiming that the he was nearly attacked by a group of “aggressive monkeys” when visiting the Botanic Gardens.
“My friend and I were walking along the pathway when a group of monkeys suddenly came down from the trees nearby and tried to attack us.
“Sensing trouble, I quickly took off my belt and got ready to fend off the monkeys. One of them looked like it was about to bite us, baring its teeth to intimidate us.
“I swung my belt a few times and they slowly retreated. Luckily I had something to defend myself with, otherwise I might have ended up with a few stitches,” he said, adding that the authorities should act before something happened to visitors.

By CHRISTINA CHIN

Myanmar couple remanded four days

Neighbour’s account: Rashidah (left) listening to a question about Nazrin while her mother Hasina Nur Islam looks on yesterday.

The Myanmar couple, who found five-year-old Muhammad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali and kept him for two weeks, have been remanded for four days.
Magistrate Fatimah Rubiah Ali ordered the couple to be remanded until Thursday.
Police are investigating if the 31-year-old man and 27-year-old woman had abducted the boy, popularly known as Yin, and wrongfully confined him.

Speaking to newsmen later, lawyer Pritam Singh Doal said the police had placed the couple’s five children, aged between three and 10, with the Welfare Department pending investigations.
Nazrin went missing on March 31 while his father Shamsul Ghazali Shamsuddin was trying on some clothes at the Sogo shopping mall in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman here.
He was finally reunited with his father on Saturday evening.

City acting CPO Senior Asst Comm (I) Mohd Zulhasnan Najib Baharuddin confirmed that the five children were with the Welfare Department but declined to say if DNA tests would be done to verify if the children were the couple’s.

Meanwhile, a young neighbour of the Myanmar couple said that for the two weeks that Nazrin was there, he had called them “mak” (mother) and “ayah” (father), and was renamed Yusoff.
Nazrin was a a happy-go-lucky boy who was well loved by the couple, said Rashidah Begum, nine, who lives next to the couple in a squatter area behind the Sentul market.
When Nazrin appeared in the couple’s house two weeks ago, the Myanmar woman claimed he was her brother-in-law’s son, the girl said.
“When I asked Yusoff where his mother was, he would just smile, but he never gave coherent answers because he could not speak well yet,” said Rashidah, who is also from Myanmar and has been staying in the area for the past four years.
Rashidah said she saw red spots all over the boy’s body and that was probably why his head was shaved.
The detained woman’s brother, who happened to be next door, said his sister and her husband had been treated unfairly for their kindness.
“She and her husband are illiterate, do not understand the law and do not watch the television. They did not know there was a search going on for the boy,” said the ice-cream seller who declined to be named.
As for allegation that the Myanmar couple planned to use Nazrin for begging, the brother retorted: “If that is true, she has five beautiful children who can do a better job. Moreover, they can speak better.”

Jealous hubby beats wife over SMS

This happened in Kuala Trengganu, Malaysia:

A husband beat his saleswoman wife yesterday – the second time in as many months – all because of an SMS she had sent.
The 27-year-old victim’s husband suspected her of having an extra-marital affair.
She was sending an SMS to a friend over the case of a missing five-year-old boy while watching the news on television when her husband grabbed the handphone from her.
The 28-year-old husband beat her and threatened her with a knife.
She then lodged a report.
On Feb 14, the victim suffered severe injuries when the husband beat her up for sending an SMS to her colleagues on the eve of Valentine's Day.
Her husband had suspected her of cheating on him after apparently seeing her having a drink with another man.
The case is pending in court.

Happy Birthday, Sweeeet 17 yuu.....

Gambar semasa form 3 (atas) dan form 4 (bawah)
Selamat menyambut hari lahirmu yang ke 17 baru-baru ini. Sudah 17 anakku ini. Besar dan panjangnya engkau. Rasanya masih kecil lagi dan masih juga dipanggil dengan nama manja adik.



Didoakan semoga panjang umur, murah rezeki, kesihatan diri sentiasa baik dan sentiasa dalam peliharaan Allah swt.

Tahun ini adik akan menduduki peperiksaan SPM, semoga berjaya memperolehi A yang banyak.

Jangan lupa banyak minum air supaya badan kamu tidak kering. Sekarang muka adik sudah bulat banyak. So jangan lupa exercise, you know.

Yin Dijumpai, Alhamdullillah

Alhamdulillah akhir nya Yin atau Muhammad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali atau Yin, 5, kanak-kanak yang dilaporkan hilang sejak 31 Mac lepas ditemui selamat di Sentul semalam.Yin dilaporkan berada dalam jagaan pasangan suami isteri warga Myanmar Rasidah Nur Islam, 27, dan Abdul Rahman Doli Rahman, 31, yang tinggal di Sentul Pasar. Mereka (Rasidah dan suami) hanya tahu bahawa Yin adalah budak yang hilang setelah melihat poster Yin sewaktu membeli belah di Sogo. Rasidah yang berada di sekitar Kompleks Membeli Belah Sogo kira-kira pukul 1 tengah hari bersama anak perempuannya yang berumur tiga tahun telah terlihat poster Yin sedang diagihkan oleh Baharudin. Tanpa menyedari maklumat yang terkandung di dalam poster, beliau membawa poster itu pulang ke rumah. Di rumah, Rasidah telah melihat kembali poster itu dan terkejut kerana gambar yang tertera di dalam poster itu adalah sama dengan kanak-kanak yang tinggal bersama nya. Rasidah yang tidak tahu membaca mengesyaki sesuatu yang tidak kena, lalu menghubungi nombor yang tertera pada poster tersebut. Baharudin yang menerima panggilan tersebut kemudiannya terus ke Sentul bagi mendapatkan Yin sebelum membawa ke rumahnya di Setiawangsa. Beliau berkata bapa Yin kemudiannya dimaklumkan tentang penemuan.
Pada hari kejadian Rasidah telah melihat seorang kanak-kanak cuba melintas dan hampir dilanggar sebuah kereta. Rasidah sempat menarik tangannya lalu memimpinnya ke tepi jalan. Rasidah kemudian mencuba untuk mendapatkan maklumat daripada Yin di mana ibu bapanya berada dan Yin hanya berkata "Besan... besan". Dia yang tidak memahami maksud kata-kata itu kemudiannya mengambil keputusan menunggu selama satu jam di tepi jalan bersama Yin dengan harapan ibu bapa Yin akan datang mencarinya. Kerana khuatir dengan keselamatannya, saya ambil keputusan membawa Yin pulang ke rumah setelah ibu bapanya tidak muncul. Sepanjang tempoh dua minggu itu, Rasidah menjaga Yin seperti anaknya sendiri malahan anak perempuannya turut menganggap Yin sebagai abang. Ketika persidangan media itu berlangsung, jelas kelihatan Yin begitu rapat dengan Rasidah sehingga memanggil Rasidah dengan panggilan "mak".
Ucapan terima kasih diucapkan kepada Rasidah dan suaminya kerana menjaga adik Yin dengan baik serta seluruh rakyat Malaysia, pihak Polis dan agensi yang terlibat termasuk jentera-jentera NGO dan Politik, yang selama ini memberi bantuan dan bertungkus lumus membantu mencari adik Yin. Walaubagaimanapun sikap segelintir rakyat Malaysia yang mengambil kesempatan, dengan menghantar SMS memaki hamun dan menyalurkan maklumat palsu adalah amat dikesali.

KOSONG DAN PENUH

Kosong Dan Penuh Satu hari ketika seorang ayah membeli beberapa gulung kertas bungkusanhadiah, anak perempuannya yang masih kecil dan manja sekali, meminta satu gulung.

"Untuk apa?" tanya si ayah.
"Nak bungkus hadiah" jawab si kecil.
"Jangan dibuang-buang ya." pesan si ayah, sambil memberikan satu gulungankecil.

Keesokan harinya, pagi-pagi lagi si kecil sudah bangun dan membangunkanayahnya, "Yah, Ayah........ ada hadiah untuk Ayah.

" Si ayah yang masih menggeliat, matanya pun belum lagi terbuka sepenuhnya menjawab, "Sudahlah.... nanti nanti saja." Tetapi si kecil pantang menyerah, "Ayah, Ayah, bangun Ayah, dah pagi." "Eh... kenapa ganggu ayah... masih terlalu awal lagi untuk ayah bangun." Ayah terpandang sebuah bungkusan yang telah dibalut dengan kertas pembungkusyang diberikan semalam. "Hadiah apa ni?" "Hadiah hari jadi untuk Ayah. Bukalah Yah, buka sekarang."

Dan si ayah pun membuka bungkusan itu. Ternyata di dalamnya hanya sebuah kotak kosong. Tidak berisi apa pun juga.

"Eh.. kenapa kosong?? Tak ada isi di dalamnya. Kan Ayah dah kata janganbuang- buang kertas bungkusan Ayah. Membazir tu"

Si kecil menjawab, "Tak Ayah....., ada isi tu... Tadi kan, Puteri masukkanbanyak sekali ciuman untuk Ayah."

Si ayah merasa terharu, dia mengangkat anaknya. Dipeluk dan diciumnya.

"Puetri, Ayah belum pernah menerima hadiah seindah ini. Ayah akan selalumenyimpan hadiah ini. Ayah akan bawa ke pejabat dan sekali-sekala kalau perlu ciuman Puteri, Ayah akan mengambil satu. Nanti kalau kosong diisi lagi ya!"

Kotak kosong yang sesaat sebelumnya dianggap tidak berisi, tidak memilikinilai apa- apa pun, tiba-tiba terisi, tiba-tiba memiliki nilai yang begitu tinggi.

Apayang terjadi?

Lalu, walaupun kotak itu memiliki nilai yang sangat tinggi di mata si ayah,namun di mata orang lain tetap juga tidak memiliki nilai apa pun. Orang lain akantetap menganggapnya sebuah kotak kosong.

Kosong bagi seseorang boleh dianggap penuh oleh orang lain. Sebaliknya, penuh bagi seseorang boleh dianggap kosong oleh orang lain.

KOSONG dan PENUH - kedua-duanya merupakan produk dari "fikiran" andasendiri.

Sebagaimana anda memandangi hidup demikianlah kehidupan anda.

Hidup menjadi bererti, bermakna, kerana anda memberikan erti kepadanya, memberikan makna kepadanya.

Bagi mereka yang tidak memberikan makna, tidak memberikan erti, hidup iniibarat lembaran kertas yang kosong...........

Sumbangan dari Sahabat Ust Syamsul Ariffin

Perasmian Kejohanan Olahraga MSSPP Zon Nibong Tebal oleh YB Dato' Seri Hj Abdul Rashid bin Abdullah, TImbalan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang.

RENUNGKANLAH

RENUNGKANLAH

Ada seorang pemuda yang sangat pemarah. Dia tidak dapat mengawal kemarahannya walaupun ianya hanya satu masalah kecil sahaja.Pada suatu hari, bapanya telah menghadiahkannya dengan seguni paku. "Untuk apakah paku-paku ini ayah?" tanya pemuda tersebut.

"Setiap kali kamu marah, kamu pakulah tembok batu di hadapan rumah kita ini, bagi melepaskan kemarahan mu" jawab ayahnya.

Pada hari yang pertama sahaja, pemuda itu telah memaku sebanyak 37 batang paku pada tembok batu tersebut.Selepas beberapa minggu, setelah dia dapat mengurangkan kemarahannya, jumlah paku yang digunakan juga berkurangan.Dia mendapati, adalah lebih mudah mengawal kemarahannya dari memukul paku menembusi tembok batu tersebut.Akhirnya tibalah pada suatu hari, dimana pemuda tersebut tidak marah, walau sekali pun.Dia pun memberitahu ayahnya mengenai perkara tersebut dengan gembira.Bapanya mengucapkan tahniah dan menyuruh dia mencabut kembali paku itu satu persatu, pada setiap hari yang ia lalui tanpa kemarahan.Hari berganti hari, dan akhirnya dia berjaya mencabut kesemua paku-paku tersebut. Pemuda tersebut lantas memberitahu perkara tersebut kepada bapanya dengan bangganya.BAPANYA TELAH MEMIMPIN tangannya ke tembok tersebut dan berkata "Kau telah melakukannya dengan baik, anakku, tetapi lihatlah kesan lubang-lubang di tembok batu tersebut, tembok itu tidak akan kelihatan sama lagi seperti sebelumnya.Bila kau menyatakan sesuatu atau melakukan sesuatu ketika marah, ianya akan meninggalkan kesan parut dan luka, sama seperti ini.Tetapi ingatlah, tak kesah berapa kali kau memohon maaf dan menyesal atas perbuatam mu, namun lukanya masih tetap ada. Luka di hati adalah lebih pedih dari luka fizikal.Sahabat adalah permata yang sukar dicari. Mereka membuatkan kamu ketawa dan menggalakkan mu ke arah kejayaan.Sahabat juga adalah seorang pendengar, berkongsi suka dan duka dan sentiasa membuka hatinya kepada kita.Maafkan saya sekiranya saya pernah meninggalkan kesan berlubang di dinding hati anda.